Software configuration item back-up facility

Abstract

A system may identify a second software configuration item for possible backup in response to selection of a first software configuration item for backup, where the first and second software configuration items are related. The system may include a detecting unit for detecting information regarding at least one hardware and at least two software configuration items. A repository may store a set of data for each configuration item based on the detected information. The set of data may include a predetermined attribute of the configuration item and a relation between the configuration item and another configuration item. An identifying unit may then identify the second software configuration item from the attribute and/or the relation upon selection of the first software configuration item for backup.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 detecting information regarding each of a plurality of configuration items, the plurality of configuration items comprising at least first and second software configuration items; 
 creating a first configuration item (CI) instance for the first software configuration item and a second CI instance for the second software configuration item, wherein the first CI instance comprises a relation attribute indicating a relation between the first software configuration item and the second software configuration item; 
 storing the first and second CI instances; 
 enabling a user to establish a backup policy designating a type of relation attribute and a number of nodes away from a target software configuration item to be included in a backup; 
 receiving an instruction to back up the first software configuration item; 
 backing up the second software configuration item with the first software configuration item if the relation attribute is of the type specified in the backup policy and the second software configuration item is within the number of nodes away from the first software configuration item; and 
 not backing up the second software configuration item if the relation attribute is not of the type specified in the backup policy or the second software configuration item is not within the number of nodes away from the first software configuration item. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the type is one of an “assigns,” “canConnect,” “canUse,” “connectAt,” “connects,” “controls,” “deployedOn,” “Located,” “Managed,” “Owned,” “provides,” “runAt,” “uses,” “installedOn,” and “usedBy” type. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying the second software configuration item in response to determining that the relation attribute is of the type specified in the backup policy. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising enabling the user to select the second software configuration item so that the second software configuration item is backed up with the first software configuration item. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising enabling the user to not select the second software configuration item so that the second software configuration item is not backed up with the first software configuration item. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising creating CI instances for the first and second software configuration items once the first and second software configuration items are backed up. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising providing a model table for storing a data model for use in creating the first and second CI instances. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the data model defines the relation attribute. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the data model defines a backup command and a restore command. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising restoring the first and second software configuration items on predetermined hardware in response to the restore command. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the data model further defines a backup parameter and a restore parameter. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the data model specifies a relation model defining the relation attribute. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the model table stores the relation model. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the backup policy further designates a type of configuration item. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising determining whether the second software configuration item is of the type specified in the backup policy. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising backing up the second software configuration item with the first software configuration item if the second software configuration item is of the type specified in the backup policy. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising not backing up the second software configuration item if the second software configuration item is not of the type specified in the backup policy. 
     
     
       18. An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; 
 at least one memory device coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory device storing computer instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:
 detect information regarding each of a plurality of configuration items, wherein the plurality of configuration items comprises at least first and second software configuration items; 
 create a first configuration item (CI) instance for the first software configuration item and a second CI instance for the second software configuration item, wherein the first CI instance comprises a relation attribute indicating a relation between the first software configuration item and the second software configuration item; 
 store the first and second CI instances in a repository; 
 enable a user to establish a backup policy designating a type of relation attribute and a number of nodes away from a target software configuration item to be included in a backup; 
 
 receive an instruction to back up the first software configuration item; 
 back up the second software configuration item with the first software configuration item if the relation attribute is of the type specified in the backup policy and the second software configuration item is within the number of nodes away from the first software configuration item; and 
 not back up the second software configuration item if the relation attribute is not of the type specified in the backup policy or the second software configuration item is not within the number of nodes away from the first software configuration item. 
 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the type if one of an “assigns,” “canConnect,” “canUse,” “connectAt,” “connects,” “controls,” “deployedOn,” “Located,” “Managed,” “Owned,” “provides,” “runAt,” “uses,” “installedOn,” and “usedBy” type. 
     
     
       20. A computer program product comprising:
 a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-usable program code stored thereon, the computer-usable program code comprising:
 computer-usable program code for detecting information regarding each of a plurality of configuration items, wherein the plurality of configuration items comprises at least first and second software configuration items; 
 computer-usable program code for creating a first configuration item (CI) instance for the first software configuration item and a second CI instance for the second software configuration item, wherein the first CI instance comprises a relation attribute indicating a relation between the first software configuration item and the second software configuration item; 
 computer-usable program code for storing the first and second CI instances in a repository; 
 computer-usable program code for enabling a user to establish a backup policy designating a type of relation attribute and a number of nodes away from a target software configuration item to be included in a backup; 
 
 computer-usable program code for receiving an instruction to back up the first software configuration item; 
 computer-usable program code for backing up the second software configuration item with the first software configuration item if the relation attribute is of the type specified in the backup policy and the second software configuration item is within the number of nodes away from the first software configuration item; and 
 computer-usable program code for not backing up the second software configuration item if the relation attribute is not of the type specified in the backup policy or the second software configuration item is not within the number of nodes away from the first software configuration item.